BILLINGS — For many Montana cowboys and cowgirls, their rodeo dreams first come to realization at the high school level.
And this weekend at the Montana High School Rodeo Finals in Kalispell, those who have qualified for the event will get a taste of performing on a big stage — and a preview for what may come as their rodeo careers develop.
The main attractions of the rodeo — the rough stock and timed events — will consist of slack at 8 a.m. and evening performances at 6:30 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday followed by a championship round beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, all of which will take place at Majestic Valley Arena.
Evening performances will be streamed live on The Cowboy Channel for those unable to make it to Kalispell. Shooting, cutting and cowhorse events have also been taking place throughout the week.
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The top 16 placers in each event after Thursday and Friday’s go-rounds will advance to Saturday, with season average state champions being awarded after Friday’s go-round. In the championship round, the top four placers in each event will qualify for the National High School Rodeo Finals, which are scheduled to be held from July 14-20 in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Needless to say, for those in Big Sky Country who are gunning to make it to nationals, this weekend is a pretty big deal.
“I’d like to invite people to come and support these kids,” National High School Rodeo Association executive board member Jay Wagner, who is assisting with the state finals, said in a phone interview with The Billings Gazette and 406 MT Sports on Wednesday. “Future world champions come from high school rodeo.”
Updated scores and results, as well as a schedule, can be located on the Montana High School Rodeo Association (MHSRA) website.
Montana High School Rodeo Finals
June 3-8 (rough stock and timed events begin June 6)
at Majestic Valley Arena, Kalispell
2024 shooting state champions (completed Tuesday): Light rifle: Sophia Wyatt, Dillon; Trap shoot: Emma Atkinson, Great Falls. Results from the cutting and cowhorse finals, which are taking place Wednesday evening, have not been posted as of this writing.
Per the MHSRA’s final standings ahead of the state finals (updated through May 29), it’s Huntley’s Aspen Swenson and Great Falls’ Mitch Detton who are running the show in the girls and boys all-around standings.
Huntley’s Aspen Swenson ropes a calf during the high school breakaway roping event at a rodeo in Hamilton on April 21.
Lukas Prinos
Detton, who has competed on the Northern Rodeo Association circuit (finishing third in the men’s all-around rankings last season, winning a total of $9,048 along the way), is the younger brother of Montana State rodeo cowboy Cole Detton and will compete in tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping (with Martinsdale’s Walker Story) this week.
Meanwhile, Swenson is no stranger to being on top in an all-around leaderboard, having captured the junior girl all-around world title at last year’s National Little Britches Rodeo Finals in Guthrie, Oklahoma. She’ll be competing in barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying, pole bending and team roping (with brother AJ Swenson) at the state finals, with breakaway roping the event where she’s ranked highest (fifth, 113.5).
Multiple future Montana State Bobcats and Montana Grizzlies competitors will be on the dirt, too, such as MSU commit, Helena Capital senior and reigning goat tying state champion Hailey Burger, who is the top-ranked cowgirl in the event with a 149 average. Lewistown’s Weston Hersel is another soon-to-be Cat, stuffed in a tight race at the top of the standings in tie-down roping with Corvallis’ Cash Trexler (first, 144) and Glendive’s Pacen Buller, who he is tied with for second with 142 points.
But if you want to keep your eyes on a future Griz athlete, look no further than Browning’s Randin Wagner, who ranks third in the saddle bronc behind Miles City’s Caiden Gray and fellow Browning native Randon Boyce.
And speaking of Browning, Tahj Wells has an opportunity to bring back to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation a second individual state championship earned by him this season in what would be a unique double.
The Class A 145-pound state wrestling champion in February, Wells can add to his collection a rodeo title — most likely in bull riding, where he’s the top-ranked cowboy in the state — Saturday afternoon.
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